


Winner Takes All

by JessicaPendragon



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:35:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessicaPendragon/pseuds/JessicaPendragon
Summary: A game with higher stakes.





	

They are getting carried away. He didn’t mean for them to end up like this, but not that he’s complaining. Not that he _can_ complain, with Gil’s tongue in his mouth and sense dancing away like shooting stars to feel him pressed so hot and hard against him. The drive core vibrates against his back, steady pulses when his heart is somewhere in the red and hurtling fast towards overload. They’re bound to get caught - Ryder thinks of telling SAM to lock the doors to engineering to avoid it because he doesn’t want to pull away, to break this connection.

He’s both relieved and disappointed when Gil takes a step back, but he’s proud of the ragged breaths and blown darkness of his lover’s eyes, the way fingers still dig into his sides like letting go completely would be madness. “We’re not very good at slow, are we?”

Ryder smiles, runs his thumb down the smooth line of Gil’s beard. “I don’t know about you, but I slept for long enough already.”

“I hear you. I can also hear Cora and the doctor holding protocol meetings about crew fraternization. Don’t need either of them giving me glares, no thanks.”

“Well, we could take this to somewhere more private? There was mention of a high stakes card game and I’ve been practicing. What do you say?”

“There are other ways to lose your dignity, but if you insist-”

“Maybe I just want to make you work a little to get me out of my clothes this time.”

Gil laughs and gives one last squeeze before moving away. “Fifteen minutes. Is that enough time to mentally prepare yourself for another thrashing?”

“I don’t know. I feel pretty good about my chances. See you soon.” 

Seventeen minutes later Gil presses the comm to Ryder’s room and hears his muted reply inside. The doors open with a whoosh and he manages to walk a few feet inside before he stumbles still, surprised by the sight awaiting him. Ryder sits with one leg casually thrown over the other, dressed in full armor from head to toes, even complete with a few guns strapped to his side and jet pack on his back. He passes red striped cards in-between his gloves and there’s no need to see his face to know there is the most self-satisfied grin on it. “Ready to start?”

Gil finds that he needs a few moments as laughter makes him bend over, tears tickling at the edges of his eyes. He hasn’t be fond of surprises lately - they’ve all been bad since waking up, and most continue to be things that are very, very inconvenient, but this one, _this man_ , is the best thing he’s found in the galaxy so far. 

He swipes the deck of cards from Ryder’s fingers. “Think you’re clever, huh? It’s not going to help.”

It doesn’t. While Gil does lose a few articles of clothing, because even the clueless have the odds in their favor sometimes, the game ends with Ryder divested of every piece of his apparel, his helmet placed strategically over his lap, and a hopeless grin on his face. “Well.”

Gil shakes his head. “Well. Did you think it would end some other way? That I’d go easy on you just because I said I loved you?”

“No, I just thought you’d be a little bit more distracted this time.”

He was, but he holds back on mentioning that it didn’t matter - a true sign that he _is_ in love. Who wouldn’t be distracted by each layer falling away to reveal muscles stretching beneath skin, skin he’s just learning that smells like leather and rain or sun or whatever Ryder brings back with him from every planet. He lets his eyes roam without inhibition now, throws enough heat into his look that it feels like someone’s messed with the environmental controls.

“We never settled on the stakes,” Gil says as he leans forward and puts his fingers on Ryder’s knee, lets them travel up further until they’re pressing into his upper leg. 

“You can have anything,” Ryder replies. “Everything.”

There’s a look in his eyes, excited and nervous and trusting, as he waits for Gil to take whatever he wants. It stirs desire in him but something stronger, the need to give as much as he’s being given instead. Gil kneels between his legs, takes his time as he trails hands up warmth and hardness and over a beating heart. With a smile he removes the helmet and places it into the carpet at their side so there are no more barriers between him and his prize.

“I’ll take this.” Gil kisses the edge of Ryder’s jaw, moves to the bridge of his nose. “And this.” He makes his way back down whispering about all the things that he’ll claim, kissing marks into Ryder’s neck and leaving a wet trail down his breastbone. Gil nips above his belly button and feels muscles shiver, anticipating trembling through them both. “And this.”

He pushes knees apart and kisses thighs, across the lines of hips, the seams between, anywhere besides where it is obviously needed most. “Gil…” Ryder whispers, fingers digging desperately into his arm and tugging with impatience.

“I’m practicing the _slow,_ ” he say but finally takes pity as he pulls Ryder’s cock into his mouth. He is gentle at first with soft lips and tongue painting a lazy line up and down veins until Ryder is shifting beneath his fingers, his sighs becoming edged in frustration. Gil loves how vocal he is and listens to his voice change as he applies more pressure and begins to suck from base to head, as he rolls his tongue in elegant patterns. Ryder moans his name, begs for more, praises pouring from his mouth unashamed, and it is with pride and pleasure Gil realizes it is all because of him.

When he adds his hand griped tight, Ryder’s groan grow louder and quicker as he tosses his head back and gives over everything. Gil holds nothing back now, mercilessly driving him higher and higher with skilled mouth and fingers moving together and in opposition, twisting and twirling until Ryder can take no more. He knows when the end approaches as Ryder grabs hold of his hair for support and bucks forward, a moment of silence as his body seizes. Then he is spilling across his tongue, moaning so loud Gil thinks they must hear it on the bridge, but he doesn’t care.

With care he kisses the last drops away and climbs onto Ryder’s lap, treasures the heartbeat pounding under his lips, the blissful blush spreading across skin, the way Ryder can barely focus for a few moments - the beautiful, ridiculous smile he gives when he does. He’s thanked with exuberant kisses, breathless and budding with love and affection, and he would’ve traveled 600 more years for the joy of feeling anything like this.

“If this is going to happen after every time I lose, it’s not much of an encouragement to try harder,” Ryder says as he begins to work the zipper of Gil’s suit.

“We’ll just have to try something else. A kid’s game maybe, like Go Fish,” Gil suggests, skin prickling as Ryder kisses what’s exposed. 

“Ouch. Could be fun though…Strip Go Fish?” He feels a sudden smirk against his collar. “ _Fish Strips_.”

“Ugh, you-” any other words are swept away as his mouth is claimed again and he doesn’t mind this either.


End file.
